China committed to ‘one country, two systems’ for Hong Kong, Foreign Minister Wang Yi tells Britain’s Jeremy Hunt
British foreign secretary says he had ‘extensive discussions’ on situation in Hong Kong during meeting in Beijing
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi assured his visiting British counterpart on Monday that Beijing remained committed to the “one country, two systems” policy of governing Hong Kong, even as he warned against outside interference in the city’s affairs.
A group of British politicians last week had urged Jeremy Hunt, who replaced Boris Johnson as foreign secretary on July 9, to discuss Hong Kong with state leaders during his trip to Beijing, citing concerns that the Chinese government had “increased and intensified” pressure on human rights and civil liberties in the city.
Starting his Beijing visit on Monday, Hunt co-chaired a strategic dialogue with Wang to exchange views on bilateral issues such as trade and security.
“We had extensive discussions about one country, two systems and the current situation in Hong Kong,” Hunt said in a joint press briefing later. “And we had a very open and frank discussion about the concerns that have been raised by a number of people.”